The number of companies responsible for flight handling at Schiphol must be halved. That is what outgoing Minister Harbers of Infrastructure and Water Management wants. Now there are six companies that are responsible for loading and unloading luggage, checking in passengers and towing aircraft, among other things. Ultimately, three handling companies should remain at Schiphol by 2025.
The relatively high number of handling companies at Schiphol has been a thorn in the side of trade unions and parties such as the SP and the PvdA in the House of Representatives for years. Because the airlines have a lot of choice in who they do business with, the rates remain low. That is good for the companies, but at the expense of the working conditions of the staff.
It is not for nothing that there has been a staff shortage at Schiphol handling companies for a long time. Employers cannot complete the rosters and potential new employees stay away. There is also no prospect of higher wages, because the airlines are not prepared to pay more and the handling companies are complying with their contracts.
Small impact
Research commissioned by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management showed that halving the number of handling companies can significantly improve working conditions, quality and safety. Nevertheless, reducing the number of ground handlers can have a significant impact on companies and their employees.
Outgoing Minister Harbers will therefore first start a so-called consultation period, in which all interested parties will have the opportunity to respond to the plans. He did that before when Schiphol was shrinking to 440,000 flights and 460,000 flightsand temporarily closing the Zwanenburgbaan for maintenance.
Safety requirements
Like Harbers, Schiphol also advocates fewer handling companies at the airport, so that working conditions for staff can improve. There’s already one license to operate implemented. It contains safety requirements and working agreements that handling companies must adhere to at Schiphol.